Nothing sounds better than watching TV all day, all cosy and comfy in bed or your couch, munching on chips and fries. While that seems like a wonderful way to spend your days off, you may want something more active to do when you hear about the serious repercussions of inactivity to your body.

Well, there’s nothing wrong about sitting all day if you only do it every weekend. But if you do it on a daily basis, especially at work, then you certainly need to be more conscious about it.

Apparently, sitting, or excessive inactivity has adverse effects on your health. It increases the risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as diabetes and obesity. This is why health experts have suggested that a person should have a moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes per week.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of time to work out. Good thing they found a way to counter the effects of sitting all day. Standing desks are becoming more popular nowadays and is considered an effective solution to evade the health problems which are brought about by too much sitting.

What is a standing desk?

A standing desk allows you to perform tasks on your computer in the most comfortable way possible while standing. You can change the height of the desk whenever you want to sit or stand.

As a result, it provides remarkable health benefits and even increases your productivity with your daily tasks. Custom versions from the market are very adjustable but can be a little expensive.

Why you should switch to Standing Desks

It helps you avoid weight gain and obesity

Taking in more calories than burning them is actually the reason why people gain weight. While exercise is still the most effective way to burn your calories quickly, reducing the time you spend on sitting can significantly help in your weight loss journey. In fact, almost 1000 extra calories can be burned each week from simply standing at your desk each afternoon.

It helps you manage your blood sugar levels

Everyone knows that an increase in your blood sugar level does not mean good news. One of the benefits of alternately sitting and standing in a span of your regular shift at work or even for about 180 minutes after lunch is a significant decrease in a person’s blood sugar levels.

The negative effects of sitting after eating explain why too much deskbound has a greater risk of type 2 diabetes. The point is that using a stand-up desk at work can lower our blood sugar levels, particularly after meal.

It reduces the risk of heart-related diseases

According to a study, people who spend most of their day standing have a 50% lesser risk of heart diseases-related deaths. This means that prolonged sedentary time increases the risk of heart diseases.

Proper height for the desk

Maintaining the correct posture while you are using a standing desk is very important. That means you should be mindful of its extended height when buying them. Here are some helpful pointers:

The height of your stand-up desk should be the same level as your elbow. Since the correct position for your elbow is a 90 degrees angle, measure this distance from the floor to your elbow and that should be the ideal height for your desk.

Minding your body’s proportion is also required before settling on a height.

It is also recommended to choose an adjustable standing desk. That way you will have more freedom to adjust the height of the desk according to a position that is more comfortable for you.

Proper posture when using a standing desk

Stand straight and position your head toward the ceiling while your shoulders are inclined slightly back

Place your arms down by your sides and then curve your elbow to about 90 degrees

Extend the desk till your fingers touch the keyboard keys

Finally, change the height of your screen so that your eyes are in line with the top third of the monitor

Also, bear in mind that the height may vary because of the shoes you wear. And while it’s okay to slightly lower the position of your elbow for your desk setup, it’s not alright to set it higher than 90 degrees – that is if you don’t want to cause damage to your wrist, elbows and shoulders.

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